"We talked about all the issues necessary to normal relations between our two countries," she said. "It was a constructive dialogue."

The US congress is preparing to consider bills that would allow American travel to Cuba, which has been largely banned under a US trade embargo imposed on the island since 1962.

Media reports have also suggested that Obama will keep a campaign promise to remove limits on family travel and remittances between the US and Cuba.

Richard Lugar, the senior Republican on the US senate foreign relations committee, said last week that US policy towards Cuba had "not only failed to promote human rights and democracy, but also undermines our broader security and political interests".